Animals in Zoos and Circuses
Animals Living in zoos and Circuses
When going to your city zoo as a family vacation or just a regular outing day it filled with excitement and curiosity, seeing all the different types of animals and animal breeds from mammals to reptiles or when going to the town circus that comes around every blue moon there's always a joy in the air. To see all the new tricks and performances and the most popular being the animal acts makes the crowds go wild. From seeing a tiger jump over a hoop, an elephant stand on its hind legs and dances to so many more crowd cheering acts. But when it comes to the zoo setting instead of cheering for a performance it's more of watching from afar behind the glass or from above a rail for the purpose of entertainment or curiosity.
There has been an ongoing battle when it came to the topic of how these animals that are being used for entertainment and profit relating to if the animals are being cared for correctly that includes, living in the correct environment, is there enough space for the animals and, if the animals are being treated well. One argument says that the way animals are being treated in zoos and circuses is an act of cruelty and should be banned, while the opposing argument argues that animals that are kept in captivity are beneficial when it comes to education and helping endangered species.
While zoos are fun places to visit with families with the main target being young children, young minds have the wrong lesson in terms of caring for animals. These zoos and aquariums offer tours and guidance during which tour guides “often pretend to talk about their animals’ natural habitat and inclinations. However, they are really just teaching children about caring for animals in captivity. Children leave most zoos with a misconception about how animals behave in the wild and what it takes to truly care for endangered animals” (Laybourne).
Animals held in zoos are often taken from their natural habitats and put into enclosed spaces that are not fully suited to their needs. Now the zoos try their hardest to mimic the animals surrounding them close to their natural habitat. It's not always enough for the animals. There can be a problem when it comes to the space the animals are living in, and it is not being the correct amount of space that allows their natural behaviors to take on and develop. “animal’s well-being is dependent on their environment, some contend that zoos do not provide healthy habitats for animals.” (Sencer). That alone can be a lot for an animal to take on that can result in animals behavioral issues along with stress, leading to animals acting out against their trainers and zookeepers. Animals can pick up on bad behavior that is not suited for the wild and could be dangerous to themselves, according to the article “Should Animals Be Kept in Zoos? “A study done on 40 chimpanzees in six different zoos, all of the chimps exhibited behavior their counterparts in nature did not. Some of these behaviors included rocking back and forth, tearing out their hair, self-mutilation, and the drinking of their urine.”(Sencer).
Since circuses are big crowd pleasers and constantly on the go from city to city and traveling to and from different states, those who argue against zoos and circuses claim it's hard for them to meet the animal's day to day needs when it comes to transportation and holding living areas. While on the road the animals “are forced to spend most of their lives in the cramped, barren cages and trailers used to transport them, where they have only enough room to stand and turn around.” (Circuses: Three Rings of Abuse). Usually in circus acts the animals are usually larger animals so being in a confined space for hours on end while on the road and in between acts can be hard on the animals. As the crowds go wild to see an elephant dance or a lion jump through a flame covered hoop it's very unnatural for the animals to perform such a task but in order for the tasks to be performed there's much training and discipline involved. The use of “whips, electric prods, bullhooks, and other weapons” are used during the acts to keep the animals in line while performing or while training. The physical punishment used on the animals in circuses can cause stress on the animal just like in the zoos, that can result in behavioral problems that can be a danger to the audiences, trainer, and other animals including themselves.
The argument in support of animals living in capacity can claim that animals who are kept in zoos are seen as great sources of education. With education being seen as a positive by the eyes of some, a trip to your local zoo “plays a critical role in education children and families about the different animals” (Gaille). In your local zoo there are facts about the animal all around the zoo with the specialty that some zoos offer small little fun facts reading through the zoo that explains, what type of animal it is, where the animal originates from, the types of food the animal eats and etc. Those are a great way for individuals to learn and gather information about the animals that they are seeing. The facts that are being learned are good learning tools that can make a breakthrough to individuals who would like to learn more about the different species of animals and could possibly spark career fields. With animals being a good source of education for the families and children that visit it also plays a big role in study in academics and careers that revolve around animals. “Zoo’s research scientists are always collecting data to better understand the animals, monitor the effects of changes to their routines, and make recommendations for improving their care.” (Baber). The use of animals in zoos is a great help to study animal behavior, conduct research on the genetics, and cognitive studies that are used “to ensure that animals are practicing natural behaviors, and provides opportunity to learn about – and stimulate – complex cognitive processes.” (Baber).
Those that are for animals that are kept in zoos and circuses can argue that zoos and circuses are a good way to help endangered species. “Endangered species are an environmental issue, but not necessarily an animal rights issue”. (Lin). When on circus tours the animals that are used in the shows are on the endangered list, so instead of taking animals from the wild the animals “are bred in captivity, the actions will increase the odds of survival for the overall species. Banning them from performing would decrease the number that are under our protection, which could increase the chance for extinction.” (Editor and Chief). When it comes to zoos, zoos are able to run breeding programs for endangered species “breeding programs produce the many baby animals that attract the public, but this leads to surplus animals”. (Lin), by zoos using breeding programs it's a way to keep up the reproduction of animals that are on the endangered list. While zoos are able to increase the population of that species, it's also giving homes to the animals, “Many species are endangered because of loss of habitat.” (Lin). The zoos are able to take in the different animals and are able to offer a home, keeping the species alive and in a better environment as some would agree.
Thought this is an ongoing discussion between both parties trying to determine which side its correct and seen as more ethical in terms of the animal's rights along with the safety and wellbeing of the animals in captivity. One party have can have the opinion of " we need to stop visiting zoos and circuses with animals."(Ekaterina), supporting the argument that zoos and circuses should be banned. While other individuals can agree that circuses are just as capable as caring for animals as zoos are. And while these animals are in captivity it is seen as a way to improve education and the animal species living
Works Cited
Cleveland Zoological Society. “5 Ways Your Zoo Uses Science Every Day.” Cleveland Zoological Society, 18 Apr. 2017, https://www.clevelandzoosociety.org/z/2017/04/18/5-ways-your-zoo-uses-science-every-day.
Chief, Editor in. “14 Biggest Pros and Cons of Animals in Circuses.” ConnectUS, 27 Sept. 2019, https://connectusfund.org/14-biggest-pros-and-cons-of-animals-in-circuses.
“Circuses: Three Rings of Abuse.” PETA, 15 Jan. 2023, https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-in-entertainment/animals-used-entertainment-factsheets/circuses-three-rings-abuse/.
Lin, Doris. “Should Endangered Species Be Kept in Zoos?” Treehugger, Treehugger, 15 Nov. 2019, https://www.treehugger.com/should-zoos-keep-endangered-species-127862.
Sencer. “Should Animals Be Kept in Zoos?: KQED Education.” KQED, 11 May 2016, https://www.kqed.org/education/181098/should-animals-be-kept-in-zoos#:
“Why Are Zoos Bad? Do They Cause More Harm than Good?” WAF, 27 Mar. 2023, https://worldanimalfoundation.org/advocate/how-to-help-animals/params/post/1280916/whats-wrong-with-zoos.
“Why Zoos and Animal Circuses Should Be Banned Worldwide.” Atlas Corps, 2 Feb. 2020, https://atlascorps.org/why-zoos-and-circuses-with-animals-should-be-banned-worldwide/.
Worland, Justin. “The Future of Zoos: Challenges Force Zoos to Change in Big Ways.” Time, Time, 16 Feb. 2017, https://time.com/4672990/the-future-of-zoos/.
I thought your paper was very informative and it's something I didn't really know much about before. The details that you gave especially for the side that animals in zoos and circuses is bad was so sad and persuasive. I learned a lot of things I didn't know, like how the animals in zoos display diferenet behaviors than they would in their natural habitat. But I also see the side that sometimes the animals are helped by being protected from the wild.
ReplyDeleteI really like your paper because is too informative for someone who has no knowledge about how is the animals' life in zoos. I can say that you did a great job with the details and every paragraph (grammar, vocabulary and evidences of both sides). I learned a lot of things about your paper because the way you write the text keeps me reading and that is so interesting.
ReplyDeleteGreat job. I enjoyed reading your thesis and seeing how much you enjoyed going to the zoo I strong feel that the thesis sparked set the tone for the two arguments. But everything else was good your analysis was strong and you also did a good job summarizing bith sides of the article. For example you showed the readers the conditions these animals have to live through before the can actuall perform. I think its unfair the way some of the animals are treated.
ReplyDeleteThere were some grammer and puncuation errors that are slight. Just fix the first word and add a period toward the end, but apart from that everything else was good.